(Nairobi) – Kenya is rapidly becoming a key player in Africa’s smartphone manufacturing industry, with more than 2.5 million smartphones already assembled within the country. This progress was highlighted at the Smartphone for Africa Summit held in Nairobi, where leading government and industry officials discussed the future of local production and its role in Africa’s digital transformation.
Stanley Kamanguya, CEO of the Kenya ICT Authority, spoke during a panel titled State of Smartphone Penetration in Africa and Why Local Manufacturing is Important. He outlined Kenya’s significant strides in assembling smartphones locally and stressed the importance of digital connectivity in improving access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and financial tools.
Kamanguya emphasized that locally produced smartphones can help reduce overall costs by avoiding high import tariffs, making the devices more affordable and accessible, especially in rural and underserved communities. He noted that smartphones are now fundamental to driving digital service use across all sectors, and that local production helps accelerate that transformation.
Also present at the summit were Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, Principal Secretary for ICT, and Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Industry under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. They echoed Kamanguya’s points, highlighting how smartphones play a growing role in sectors across Africa by enabling wider use of digital services.
Kamanguya pointed out that Africa has a unique advantage in smartphone production, thanks to its wealth of natural resources, including minerals essential for components like batteries and semiconductors. He encouraged African nations to unite under frameworks such as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 to harmonise trade policies and regulatory systems, allowing for easier cooperation and industrial growth across the continent.
He added that Kenya’s ICT industry has become more attractive to investors due to recent policy reforms. These include relaxed regulations on equity participation, which have opened up opportunities for more technology firms to invest and set up operations in the country. According to Kamanguya, these improvements are positioning Kenya as an appealing hub for technological innovation and manufacturing in Africa.
“This is a pivotal moment for Africa to tap into its potential for smartphone manufacturing and digital innovation,” Kamanguya said. “Kenya is proud to be at the forefront of this movement, and we are committed to ensuring the continent maximises its resources for the growth of the tech industry.”
Speaking on Kenya’s broader vision, Tanui stated that smartphone accessibility plays a critical role in advancing the country’s national goals, including Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. These initiatives aim to elevate the country’s economic development through innovation, inclusion, and industrial expansion.
Tanui also shared promising developments in the semiconductor sector. He noted that Kenya is entering a new phase of technological growth, boosted by a CHIPS Act agreement with the United States. The agreement aims to strengthen Kenya’s semiconductor capabilities, providing a foundation for future tech innovation and industrial advancement.